Grime.
That was one of many ways to describe the aptly-named city. It was tightly packed inside a huge cave, with the buildings interlocking; creating an uneven grid of houses, shops, and other hodge-podge structures. The place was huge, though, stretching for miles in any given direction. Towering above it all was the House of Justice - a mean, seven-story tall building that had a fantastic vantage point over the hive of scum and decay - which had managed to keep a narrow road between it and the exit at the far side of the city. Anyone insane enough to leave found themselves in a desert wasteland comparable to the freakin’ Sahara. We’re talking hot here… and, well, desert-y. Five days going west would get you to another city, Dross, while about the same distance in the other direction you get Scoria. Neither are much different from where you left. Same hobos, same vagabonds, and same cutthroat merchants who would sooner gut you and steal your crap to sell than actually sell you anything they had in stock. South of the city, though, there was nothing; at least, as far as people knew. Sure, some people that came back said they’d seen dragons (Yeah, dragons. Crazy, right?), but given that they were half-starved and dehydrated, many people didn’t believe. I sure as hell didn’t. Anyway, in the final big compass direction, north, there’s one helluva mountain. And past that? The Garden of Grimoire. Miles and miles of stone spire and arches… and murderous little critters of just about every shape and size. Oh, and definitely dragons. Enough people came back lucid (and burnt) enough for that to be obvious.
What has been more debated is the existence of one of those flying cities, just past all of that.
Yeah, you heard me right: flying cities. Those things are paradises, if even only half the things I’ve heard about ‘em are true. You want water flowing out of every other orifice you find? Bam, you got it. Green, lush flora? You’re in business! But guess who doesn’t get it? Us. We, the people. The vast majority. However you put it, it’s only the select few that managed to get up there, and they’re hell-bent on keeping it that way. The way they do that is by using these huge golems - Disil, is what most people call them - to reach up with their giant freakin’ arms and transport people around. Gods alone know when people decided to use these things, much less figure out how to keep them running and fit people inside them… but there you go.They just walk around the wasteland, stepping on anything that gets in the way, and transporting those few that are allowed on up to the cities above our lowly heads. Gods alone why they do what they do or what exactly they do, ‘cause if you’re smart, you’ll stay away from those things.
So yeah, you catch all that? Don’t worry. Just keep your head down, avoid the big golems and flying cities, don’t got north or south, and you should be fine. Until you get cornered in an alley and shanked over some gambling dispute.
Welcome to Grime.
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Gears, Grime, and Gunslingers is a western/steampunk/fantasy-styled RP co-DMed by Batmanwayne and Burgerwarrior. There’s a wide range of character and equipment possibilities, but there is one very important note:
You’re all convicted criminals, held by Grime’s local sheriffs.With that said, you still possess freedom. Just make sure you’re small enough to fit in a cell. Natural weapons don’t matter, because these guys have equipment to stun. Why they bothered to use it on you is up to you, as is how you were captured. The important thing is, you’ve been arrested, and are probably facing capital punishment.
It hasn’t been a good day for your character(s).
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CHARACTER SHEETName: Gender: (Fairly self-explanatory)
Race: (Freedooooom! Just nothing more than a story tall, or with the ability to fly…)
Appearance: (Words and/or pictures. Both is nice.)
Equipment: (Iron Kingdoms tech, essentially [firearms, melee weapons, armor, etc.]. (steamjacks are illegal without a permit, and magic in general is illegal to practice and/or study)
Personality: (Just give me the general personality of your character.)
Biography: (Fairly self-explanatory)
Crimes Committed: (This ranges from stealing a crust of bread to mass homicide to practicing/studying any magic, or manufacturing steamjacks.)
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EXAMPLE CHARACTERName: Aeacus Greywood
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Appearance: Equipment: Cybernetic left arm (grappling Launcher in arm, hand operates as claw), cybernetic left eye, hardened black crystal bowie knife (sharp and the size of small sword), one revolver, one customized revolver (longer barrel, bigger, scope linked to the cybernetic eye).
Personality: Courageous, disciplined, dangerous, resentful. These four words best describe Aeacus Greywood. While he fears oppression and weakness, he is driven to find freedom and strength.
Biography: Aeacus spent most of his life in the city of Dross. He was abandoned by his reckless parents when he was only six, but he was taken in by the Dead Eyes gang. He quickly learned the ways of the streets as he aided the gang in theft, sabotaging mining facilities, and other various crimes. Aeacus moved up in rank and was like a son to their leader Felix Thorn. Felix’s real son, Diego, was a rival of Aeacus’, though, who was always competing for Felix’s approval. Eventually, Diego’s resentment grew to such bounds that he sold out the Dead Eyes gang to an unknown party. Instead of being thrown in jail, they were rounded up, blindfolded and sent into the Garden of Grimoire. There Aeacus struggled to survive for six days, fighting off the various monsters that made the Garden their home, until the few remaining members of the Dead Eyes gang - including Felix - arrived at the garden to rescue him. Aeacus’ left eye had been gouged out and his left arm was completely bitten off during his time fighting for his life, but they managed to nurse him back to health.
Unfortunately, when the soldiers that originally captured them heard news that a few of the members had survived, they went to finish the job.
Felix hid Aeacus in the hospital as the gang was gunned down. When the dust settled, Aeacus emerged to fine Felix’s bloodied body, lying along with the other fallen gangsters. Filled with rage, Aeacus has been on a quest for vengeance ever since.
With the help of a known practicing mage, mechanic, and smith, he intercepted shipments for new mining equipment and steam jacks to create a new arm and eye. With these powerful tools, Aeacus turned into a killer. He hunted down the men involved with the extermination of the Dead Eyes and other government militia. He heard recent word that Diego had been seen doing business with the Mayor of Grime on behalf of the Elites. Aeacus headed to Grime with a plan; one that some may have dubbed insane. All he needed were people crazy enough to join him.
...And what better place was there to look for such people than a prison?
Crimes Committed: Mass homicide, possession of magic/mechanical limbs, gang affiliations, (violently) resisted arrest, possession of modified firearm, possession of unlicensed weapons.